A retirement age guide answers one of the most personal financial questions you will ever ask: when can you retire? Your retirement age is the age at which you become eligible for full pension or Social Security benefits, and your retirement date is simply that age added to your date of birth. This guide explains what retirement age means, how it varies by country, how to calculate your own retirement date from your date of birth, and the trade-offs between retiring early, on time, or late.
What Is Retirement Age?
Retirement age is the age set by a government pension system or retirement plan at which you qualify for full benefits. It is a legal and administrative threshold rather than a biological one: two people born only a year apart can face different retirement ages if the rules changed between their birth years.
Reaching retirement age generally means you can claim your state pension or Social Security benefits without any reduction for claiming early. In most systems you may also claim earlier — accepting a permanently smaller monthly payment — or delay your claim, which usually increases it. The exact ages, and what “early” and “delayed” mean, differ from country to country, which is why this guide starts with where you live and when you were born.
Retirement Age Around the World
Every country sets its own pension age, and many governments are raising it as life expectancy rises. The figures below were correct at the time of writing (November 2026), but pension ages do change — always confirm the current rules with the official source (for example, the US Social Security Administration, GOV.UK, Services Australia, or the Government of Canada) before making plans.
| Country | Full retirement age | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| United States (Social Security) | 66–67, depending on birth year | Graduated by birth year — see the table below. |
| United Kingdom (State Pension) | 66 | Same for men and women; legislated to rise to 67 between 2026 and 2028. |
| Australia (Age Pension) | 67 | 67 for everyone born on or after January 1, 1957. |
| Canada (OAS / CPP) | 65 | 65 is the standard age; the CPP retirement pension can start as early as 60 at a reduced amount. |
Because the thresholds move, treat any published table as a snapshot. If your retirement is years away, build in a margin — the age in force when you were 40 may not be the age in force when you reach it.
US Social Security Full Retirement Age by Birth Year
The United States uses a graduated scale rather than a single number:
| Birth year | Full retirement age |
|---|---|
| 1937 or earlier | 65 |
| 1938 | 65 and 2 months |
| 1939 | 65 and 4 months |
| 1940 | 65 and 6 months |
| 1941 | 65 and 8 months |
| 1942 | 65 and 10 months |
| 1943–1954 | 66 |
| 1955 | 66 and 2 months |
| 1956 | 66 and 4 months |
| 1957 | 66 and 6 months |
| 1958 | 66 and 8 months |
| 1959 | 66 and 10 months |
| 1960 or later | 67 |
How to Calculate Your Retirement Date from Your Date of Birth
The calculation itself is simple calendar arithmetic:
- Look up your full retirement age from the table for your country and birth year.
- Add that age to your date of birth: your retirement date is the birthday that falls in the year of your birth year plus your retirement age.
- If your retirement age includes extra months (for example, 66 and 4 months), add the full years first, then count the extra months forward on the calendar.
Worked example. Suppose you were born on June 15, 1965. Anyone born in 1960 or later has a US Social Security full retirement age of 67. Adding 67 years to June 15, 1965 gives June 15, 2032 — your 67th birthday is your full retirement date.
The date arithmetic follows the same calendar rules our site uses everywhere: birthdays, month lengths, and leap years are handled on real calendar dates. You can read the full calculation contract in our age calculation methodology.
Use the retirement age calculator to find your exact date.
Early vs Full vs Delayed Retirement
In the United States, full retirement age is only one of three milestone ages. Claiming at a different age permanently changes your monthly benefit:
- Early — age 62. This is the earliest you can claim Social Security retirement benefits, but the monthly amount is permanently reduced. For someone whose full retirement age is 67, claiming at 62 cuts the benefit by about 30%.
- Full — age 67. Claim at your full retirement age (for anyone born in 1960 or later) and you receive 100% of your primary benefit amount.
- Delayed — up to age 70. Waiting past full retirement age earns delayed retirement credits of 8% per year until 70. For a full retirement age of 67, claiming at 70 pays about 124% of the full benefit.
The right choice depends on your health, savings, and whether you keep working: the math rewards patience, but the option exists for people who need income sooner. Other countries have their own early and late claiming rules, so check the official source for your system.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate my retirement date?
Add your full retirement age to your date of birth. First find your retirement age from your country’s table using your birth year, then move that many years — and any extra months — forward from your birthday. For example, someone born in 1962 in the US has a full retirement age of 67, so a March 3, 1962 birthday becomes a March 3, 2029 retirement date. The month arithmetic matters when the retirement age includes extra months, as the steps and worked example above show.
What is the full retirement age for someone born in 1965?
67. Under current US Social Security rules, everyone born in 1960 or later has a full retirement age of 67. That means claiming at 67 pays the full benefit, claiming at 62 reduces it by about 30%, and waiting until 70 increases it by about 24% through delayed retirement credits.
Can I retire at 62?
In the US you can begin Social Security retirement benefits at 62, but the payment is permanently reduced — there is no catch-up later. Whether 62 is sensible depends on your savings, health, and life expectancy: the reduction is designed so that lifetime benefits roughly even out on average, but if you expect a long retirement, waiting usually pays more in total.
What happens if I delay retirement past my full retirement age?
In the US, each year you wait past full retirement age adds 8% to your monthly benefit, up to age 70 — there is no advantage to waiting past 70. Someone with a full retirement age of 67 who waits until 70 receives about 124% of the full benefit for life. Delaying works best if you are still earning (which can also raise your benefit record) and in good health.
Is retirement age the same for men and women?
In the US, UK, Australia, and Canada it is: the standard ages apply equally to men and women. The UK previously had different pension ages (60 for women, 65 for men) before equalizing them at 65 and then raising both to 66. A few countries still use different ages by sex, so check your own system.